As I was saying yesterday...

on the subject of overconfidence. Watch this.

The Final Countdown

Dear Obama Supporters,

One week from today America will chose a new President. Barack Obama is currently up in the national polls and doing well in most of our target state polls. Good!

This has caused many folks I know to start talking about “when Obama is President”, to ponder where they will spend their inauguration, who is going to serve in Obama’s Cabinet and even (recently, in my earshot) speculate about who he will face in a 2012 re-election. BAD! Very, very bad.

Quick reminder – the election is still one week away. One week during which anything can happen. One week during which every day must be spent continuing to deliver our vote, helping new voters cast their ballots, persuading undecideds. One week during which every second spent pre-emptively gloating about an expected victory is a moment wasted. Feeling good about our lead in the polls? Feeling energised with hope and possbility?

Good. Me too. Now take that energy and put it to work. We still need you! Here’s a step by step guide to spending every precious day productively over the next week:

Today:

1) Vote. If you haven’t already done so, there is NO excuse for not doing it right now. Seriously, stop reading this and go send your ballot. Remember, many states allow you to send your ballot by fax or e-mail – check your state’s ballot information here:

http://www.fvap.gov/overseas-citizens/fed-write-in-absentee-ballot/index.html

Remember, you don’t need to wait for your state ballot. You can vote with a Federal Write in Absentee Ballot today if you haven’t already.

2) Now call your friends and tell them to vote. Repeat as needed.

Wednesday:

Why not come in for some last minute phone calling? Our phone banks will be open until Thursday of this week at our calling center near Regents Park, and we still have many US voters here in the UK that we have not yet spoken to. Calling our voters is easy and fun – and it is a very hands on way that you can personally deliver votes for Barack. Drop me a line if you can join us: callvoters08@democratsabroad.org.uk

Thursday:

Last day for phone banking! It’s all hands on deck here at Regents Park. We’re open all day and all night from 11AM to 9PM – we’ll keep calling until we reach everyone!

callvoters08@democratsabroad.org.uk

Friday:

During the day, why not canvass all your work colleagues, fellow students, the parents at your children’s school, regulars at your lunchtime cafe – have they all got their ballots in?

At night, kick back for some fun and frolic with the Democrats Abroad screening of Barack’s 30 minute address to the nation, and a selection of top notch political comedy:

http://www.democratsabroad.org/node/7152

Saturday:

Join us at 1:30 PM for our Obama East to West Rally on Parliament Square. This final gathering will allow us to remind last minute voters that the election is just days away. It will also be your chance to get a state of the race update and to learn about last minute opportunities to help.

http://barackobama.meetup.com/349/calendar/9019317/

Sunday:

Are you In the Market for Change? Farmers markets have been some of our best sources of voters this year, so why not bring yourself down to your local farmers market with some signage and some ballots in a last ditch push? If you need ballots or other materials just write to me and I’ll make sure you get what you need. robinsonkj@dnc.org

Monday:

Time to call all your friends and family in the USA – are they ready to vote? Have they found out where their polling place is? If your great aunt Hilda hasn’t heard from you lately, now is the time to make that call.

Tuesday:

ELECTION DAY! Now the focus is shifting heavily to our get out the vote operation across the country, and you can play a big part in this effort – use the Barack Obama campaign’s Neighbor to Neighbor tool to make calls to voters in critical swing states.

http://my.barackobama.com/modules/votercontact/login_signup.php

You just need to login using your US address and they will give you some numbers to call to get out the vote on election day. All the good work we have done to find voters who support Obama all comes down to this critical moment – can we get them to the polls?

I’d like to ask all of you to commit to make at least 50 calls from your home on the day. If you have additional phone lines and wifi Internet access and you would like to welcome others into your home to make calls, please share that information in the comments field of this blog entry so that people can find each other.

ELECTION NIGHT! Once you have done everything that you can think of to do for Barack, then it’s time to gather round and start watching those results come in! There are a bunch of election night parties going on around the London, and I have listed them for your below. If you are outside London, there are a number of Democrats Abroad events going on all over the place, check the www.democratsabroad.org to see if you have a local event near you.
Obama Volunteers Election Night Party
Time: 10 pm until late
Location: The Flea Pit, 49 Columbia Road, London, E2 7RG
Info: Join a group of the Obama Campaign’s most active volunteers at this funky East London venue. Cash bar and snacks throughout the evening. Admission free, but RSVP required.
RSVP, and for more information: everyone@thefleapit.com

Chicago Rib Shack 56th US Election Viewing Party
Time: 8pm - 6:30am breakfast
Location: 145 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7PA
Info: Drink/Food: extended license and will be serving a late supper (1:00am) and breakfast (6:30am) Tickets: £25 pp
RSVP, and for more information: bookings@thechicagoribshack.co.uk
Progressive Vision at Yate’s Wine Bar
Time: 8pm - 4am
Location: Yates's Wine Bar, 30 Leicester Square, WC2H 7LA
Tickets: Standard: includes two complimentary drinks and food all evening £35.00 pp; VIP: Special VIP lounge with table service - £100.00pp. Buffet of food and snacks served through out the night. £10 worth of free drinks included with every ticket. Late license until 4am.
RSVP, and for more information: electionpartyuk@googlemail.com

Union of Jewish Students USA 2008 Election Night party
Time: 11pm onwards…
Location: 16 UWP – UJS Hillel Student Centre
Drink/Food: Bring your own bottle
Info: Join UJS students, friends and alumni to watch the results of the US Election roll in.
RSVP, and for more information: peter@ujs.org.uk

The East Room in Shoreditch Election Night Party
Time: 9pm – 9am
Location: 2a Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4LU
Drink/Food: Ticket price includes food, booze, coffee and pancakes right through the night from late dinner until dawn. There are just 250 tickets available at £125 each (£100 for members), available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please declare your allegiance to your party and the flag and indicate the number of tickets you require.
RSVP: kirsten@thstrm.com
Gramaphone Election Night Party
Time: 10pm – 4 or 5am
Location: 60-62 Commercial Street, near Spitalfields, E1 6LT,
Drink/Food: Includes delicious Thai food available all night and drink specials
Info: Join us for an all night election party to watch the US returns on our big screen TV and hopefully celebrate an Obama victory. Hope you can make it! No cover charge – just turn up.
For more information, contact: 020 7377 5332

AFTER THE ELECTION

Once the result is known, I know you won’t want to miss the chance to get together with your fellow Obama supporters for a post election.... gathering.

Democrats Abroad is hosting a special post-election event at the Texas Embassy (because one thing we do know for sure is that November 4th will mean Hasta la Vista for George W. Bush!

http://www.democratsabroad.org/node/7162

But I also thought it would be important to have a post election event aimed just at you, my fabulous Obama volunteers. So I invite you to join us (and please mark your calendars now) for a special Thank You party on Friday, November 7th.

Time: From 7:00 PM
Place: The Duke of York Pub, New Cavendish Street
Map: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=528446&y=181633&z=0&ar=Y
Why: Because I’m so awfully proud of, and grateful to, all of you.

Very best wishes,

Karin

Kolleen Casts Her Ballot...

Here's Kolleen Bouchane striking her blow for change in America.

Have you voted yet? If not, what's stopping you? Get your Federal Write in Absentee Ballot by filling out the form on www.votefromabroad.org/4

What are you waiting for?

Kat Can Vote - So Can You!

Here's Kat Callo casting her Ballot on a sunny day in Bayswater. Wherever you are, whatever the weather there - vote your ballot today.

www.VoteFromAbroad.org/4

Be Like Jeff!

Here's a picture of Colorado voter Jeff Knezovich casting his absentee ballot right here in London.

Have you voted yet? If not, why not? TODAY is election day for Americans living abroad. Get your state ballots or your Federal Write in Absentee Ballots (FWAB) in the post right now to be sure they are there on November 4. You can download a FWAB from http://www.votefromabroad.org/4 if you don't have you state ballot yet.

Important voting tips:

1. If you receive your state ballot after you send your FWAB, you can still vote your state ballot. The state will then discard your FWAB and count your state ballot instead. (So vote the FWAB today, to be safe.)
2. The FWAB must be send from overseas to be valid - so if you are planning a trip to the states, vote your FWAB before you go (like, now would be good...).
3. Although some states allow absentee ballots to be counted even if they arrive a few days after election day, we would advise you to plan on getting your ballot there well in advance of November 4th to avoid any opportunity for confusion. (That means, send it now.)

TODAY is Election Day

Here's a note from longstanding Obama supporter and activist on the occasion of her (at last!)posting her ballot for Barack:

It’s been exhilarating supporting Barack Obama as a donor, an event coordinator and as a blogger. To support him at long last as a voter, defies
description.
Don’t delay this gratification. Do it now.
I hope that the envelope containing my ballot, along with the envelopes carrying yours and those of your extended family and your alumni associates and your American colleagues will deliver a mandate for change. Polls in your State may show a commanding lead for Barack Obama. Yet your vote is crucial as proof that We the People want his administration to be able to govern unobstructed by the kind of politics plaguing this campaign.Vote. Now. You will never have known how good you can feel.

Have you voted your ballot? Send me a photo of yourself putting that ballot in the postbox (AKA - the voting booth for Americans Abroad).

Haven't voted yet? What stopping you! Election day is TODAY for Americans overseas - you need to get your ballots in the mail ASAP if you want to be sure of getting them back in time. Don't have you're state ballot yet? Vote your Federal Write in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) - which you can download from here:

www.votefromabroad.org/4

Got friends who haven't voted? Send them the link to this page and get them moving!

Friendly Competition

On the evening of September 25 there will be a major fundraiser here in London featuring DNC General Election Director Paul Tewes, Finance Director Phil Murphy and actress Gwyneth Paltrow. While the ticket price of this premier event is a minimum contribution of $2,300, I am delighted to announce that, thanks to the support of a generous benefactor, we are able to make one ticket available to one grassroots volunteer.

Here’s all you need to do: please write a short essay describing how you have worked to find and register American voters for Barack Obama here in the UK. Get creative – include pictures and videos. Write sonnets if you like! But do try to include specific information to back up your argument, such as:

• How many new voters have you registered?
• How many volunteer hours have you spent?
• How many leaflets have you handed out?
• How many events have you hosted?
• How many e-mails have you sent or phone calls have you made or blog posts have you written?

Send your entries in to competition@obamalondon.com. Our favorite entries might be posted to the popular Americans Abroad blog on the Barack Obama website – and one of the writers will be chosen to attend the Paul Tewes event as our guest and with our thanks.

South Bank Rally Success

A GREAT BIG THANK-YOU to everyone who came out for our East to West Rally on the sunny South Bank, this past Saturday 13 September. I'm told that we attracted about 70 Obama Supporters in London.

A very special thanks that almost all of you were able to stay and canvass the South Bank looking for our fellow Americans and providing information on voter registration. We reached hundreds of Americans Abroad that day, who were looking for information on how to register and request an absentee ballot. Of course you ALL know that your source for voter registration information is: http://www.votefromabroad.org/4

I have posted about a dozen photos in the Event photoalbum on our Meetup page here: http://barackobama.meetup.com/349/photos/438999/#5534075

In the meantime, here a few pictures to get you started:

Finding Americans to Vote

I want to thank each and every one of you who have come out to look for Americans in all sorts of places, asking them to exercise their right to vote! We've reached many hundreds of people this way: many of whom have no idea at all how to register or to request a ballot.

(Of course you all know that the easiest way is to look at: http://www.votefromabroad.org/4)

This weekend we suffered from less-than-perfect London weather, and still a large number of you came out and gave it your best shot! Here is a photo of one of our intrepid volunteer crews who came out to Oxford Street on a drizzly Sunday:

London Convention Watch

Here are a few pictures from our London Convention Watch party on Friday 29 August. Thanks to all of you who were able to attend!

You can find additional pictures from this event at:

http://barackobama.meetup.com/349/

Confessions of a fan girl....

It's after midnight, and I just got home from our Obama London Convention Watch party - dozens of us clustered on floors and perched on the arms of chairs in a central London basement to watch the tape of Barack last night accepting the nomination.

I've seen the speech twice now - and countless Obama speeches before that. And each one gets better. So, I need you all to do me a favor. I need you, first of all, to watch that speech. Seriously, click on the image above and watch it. I'll wait.

....


....

Done? OK. Now, give me one good reason why that man shouldn't be President of the United States. I mean that sincerely. What skill, what knowledge, what judgement, what temperment, what wisdom could a human being reasonably have to make them better suited to the Presidency than this man is at this time in history?

I don't pretend to be unbiased here - I've obviously been a huge Obama fan since way back when. But I don't consider my bias evidence that I have lost all rationality - the opposite in fact. I first decided to support Barack Obama precisely because he was consistently, surpassingly, excellent at everything he did. And because he struck a cord with me. I had no idea how fed up I was with the way we do politics in America, until I heard Barack say that it was broken.

McCain and his folks like to belittle Obama as a celebrity and his supporters as mere groupies or camp followers. It seems to me that their pathetic attempts to tie Barack to non-entities like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears masks precisely their fear that Obama is something special and his followers know it. That he is not a celebrity at all, but something rarer and more priceless - an artist.

An artist is someone who is able to express something in a way that the rest of us understand immediately, but never could have expressed ourselves. A musician who combines words and lyrics in a way that is more than the sum of the parts. A writer who can devastate or elevate with a single surgically implanted word. An athlete who combines grace and strength to the point where it surpasses what we thought humans could achieve.

People respond to that. It means something - something more than a good tune or a clever phrase or a world record time. Sometimes an artist speaks to some people in a way that they thought no one could. These people become fans. And that kind of fan - and that kind of artist - form more often than not when times are tough. When we struggle.

And this country has been struggling for the past 8 years. We're only now starting to come to terms with the traumas of 9/11, and Iraq. Katrina and Abu Graib. An economy on it's way down and prices heading up.

And at this crucial time in history, during our period of stormy adolescent funk, the nation is presented with a man of seriousness, purpose, passion, commitment, and extraordinary talent. Someone who practices the art of politics often with the dexterity and grace of an athlete, with a musician's ear for the right note and the writer's faith in the power of words. And a pragmatism that is unique only to politics. And he uses that talent in the service of naming our nation's problems - holding accountable those who have failed us and asking the country to live up to it's own vision of itself. He weaves together all his various talents with a vision of where this country needs to go and an unshakably clear vision of how far it has been left behind.

So yeah. I'm a fan. Aren't you?

You Go Girl!

Michelle Obama is five feet nine inches of unadulterated fabulousness.

Welcome Joe

I can't say enough good things about our new Vice Presidential candidate - he's a smart, accomplished, straight talking man who shares Barack's core belief that we need to cut through the Washington games to make a real change for the American people. As Barack said in his welcome speech, Joe Biden is a man who has changed Washington without allowing Washington to change him. He's the real deal, and together this is as exceptionally inspiring and talented political team.

My Life is So Much Easier Than John McCain's...

Poor John seems to be having trouble remembering how many houses he owns. Me, I've got it easy - just one. And fortunately for me, like many Americans back home, my house is worth a little less now than it used to be. And as an added bonus, I get to pay higher interests rates now than I used to, because it is harder to get credit.

Which means if anyone asks me how much my house cost, how much it's worth, what interest rates I'm paying, how long I had to save to earn the deposit to buy my house in the first place - it's really fresh in my mind. Which is nice for me.

Because I don't have to face the embarrassment of figuring out whether to count the six houses on one of my estates separately, or as one home. Like John McCain does. Nor do I need to consider whether the $700,000 condo I bought for my daughter counts as a family home or not. Or whether the 2 separate properties that I bought and combined into one big one should be valued separately or at their combined cost: $4.7 Million. Like John McCain does.

But what does Barack think?

Virtually Denver

As a special treat for those of you who are out working for us this weekend and throughout the campaign, I’d like to invite you to our convention watching party at a central London location on Friday the 29th at 7:00PM.

Invitations are open to anyone who commits to at least 3 hours of volunteer efforts either this weekend or during the month of September. Wine and nibbles will be on me, but numbers are very limited, so RSVP now if you want to join us - and indicate what volunteer work you will be doing to cover your “ticket price”.

robinsonkj@dnc.org

I’m also delighted to announce a convention watch party in Scotland as well. To RSVP for the Edinburgh get together, also on Friday the 29th, or to volunteer for our Scotland efforts just e-mail:

mikeheffron@yahoo.com

Can’t make it to either of these? Why not create your own convention watch house party:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/organizeforchangeguide